Invite Me to Speak

Invite Me to Speak

I visit with groups of all types many times each year. I especially enjoy visiting schools and professional organizations. If you are interested in having me speak to your group, please send me an e-mail message for information about scheduling and presentation fees.

I bring all my own equipment for the presentations. The only special needs I have are a place to plug in my extension cords and a wall on which to show the powerpoint presentations.

Presentations for middle school and high school students:

Ain’t No Harm to Kill the Devil: The Life and Legend of John Fairfield, Abolitionist for Hire
A 40 minute powerpoint presentation about how the Underground Railroad and a group of true American heroes helped change America. Discussion follows.

The Story Behind Shell Games: The Life and Times of Pearl McGill, Industrial Spy and Pioneer Labor Activist
A 45 minute visual presentation, plus discussion, about how a dedicated and heroic young woman helped change the lives of American workers forever.

Inman’s War: The Wonderfully Fabulous and Winding Road of Research Behind the Writing of the Story.
A 30 minute powerpoint presentation that takes the audience on the journey for the background information needed to write the story — from Arizona to Italy! Discussion follows.

The Conspiracy of Heroes in Olivia’s Story: How Five Dedicated Individuals Helped Change the Face of America.
A 35 minute powerpoint presentation explaining how and why Olivia Merriweather Perkins and the other main characters of the story came together to help create “Shelley v. Kraemer.” Discussion follows.

The Colored Battalions of WWII: A History in Pictures.
A powerpoint presentation sharing photographs of the 449th Signal Construction Battalion of the Army Air Corps (Inman Perkins’ battalion) — and several other similar battalions. The presentation provides a detailed look at the lives of the men who served. A reading from Inman’s War is also included, accompanied by photographs.

For both Inman’s War and Olivia’s Story, I also do traditional readings combined with questions/discussion.

Presentations for professional organizations and reading/writing groups:

Overcoming Obstacles and Building Perseverance.
This presentation, which is supplemented by a wide array of pictures and historical documents, is appropriate for all businesses, reading clubs/groups, and schools at all levels. The presentation first looks at the “ordinary” individuals in my most recent books who accomplished incredible goals in spite of what at first seemed like insurmountable obstacles in front of them. The second part of the presentation delves into how all of us can use the same strategies these individuals used to help build success in our everyday lives—in our hopes, dreams, and goals.

From Thought to Publication: How a Book is Born.
Using Olivia’s Story as the basis of the discussion, I talk about the entire process of getting a book published, from selling the idea to a publisher to conducting research to working with editors through multiple layers of galleys and proofs.

The Craft of Writing Creative Nonfiction: A “How-To” workshop.
Creative nonfiction just may involve the most preparation of all the writing genres. This workshop moves through a checklist of areas which should be explored when this type of writing is tackled.

The Art of the Writing Archaeologist: How and Where to Dig up Information for Creative Nonfiction Projects.
This presentation explains selecting and then working with archives, record centers, historic sites, media outlets, and educational institutions to gather background information for creative nonfiction work.

So You Want to Write a Book…”
Tried and True advice and practical suggestions for those wanting to write or who are in the process of writing a book for publication.

How to Conduct Successful Book Signing and Book Talk Sessions.
This session looks at many practical suggestions for conducting book signing and book talk sessions. The session is for both new and experienced authors.